Why PADI Open Water?

What do I need to start?

What will I do?

Throughout the course, you'll learn fundamentals of scuba diving, including dive equipment and techniques. You earn this rating by completing pool dives and knowledge development sessions and by making four open water (ocean or lake) dives.

Knowledge Development

When you book onto the Open Water Diver Course, you will be given a 'Crewpak' containing the 'Go Dive' manual which accompanies the course and forms the basis of the theory that you will be learning. 'Go Dive' contains five chapters and each week for the duration of the course, we ask you to read one chapter before coming into the dive centre for the Knowledge Development session. In the classroom, you will watch a short DVD, view a brief presentation and complete a quiz. We aim to be as flexible as possible when scheduling Knowledge Development sessions so that you can come in at a time that suits you.

Confined Water

After completing your Knowledge Development session each week, you will then have the chance to put theory into practice learning diving skills in the safe confines of a swimming pool.

 All the Confined Water training takes place in a fully equipped pool at the UKSA Sailing Centre in Cowes. We will provide all of scuba diving equipment that you need for the course. All you need to bring is swimwear and a t-shirt to wear over the top.

Open Water

After successful completion of knowledge development and confined water training, all that remains are four open water dives, during which you demonstrate to your instructor that you have mastered the core skills enabling you to be a safe diver. These can be conducted over a weekend in the UK, either at a lake or at the coast, or on one of our overseas trips. The choice is yours!